Mike Bloomberg addresses US in TV ad on coronavirus and Trump response

Purchase of prime time slots for pseudo-presidential address draws taunting tweets from man in the real Oval Office * Pence defends Trump Jr claim Democrats want ‘millions’ to dieMike Bloomberg has bought three minutes of primetime TV on Sunday night, in order to address the US about the coronavirus outbreak and Donald Trump’s response.News of the billionaire former New York mayor’s latest campaign advertising outlay, reckoned to be between $1.25m and $3m, was followed by a pair of tweets from the White House.“Mini Mike Bloomberg’s consultants and so-called ‘advisors’ (how did that advice work out? Don’t ask!), are on the ‘gravy train’,” Trump wrote, “all making a fortune for themselves pushing Mini hard, when they knew he never had what it takes.“Don’t pay them anymore Mike, they led you down a very dark and lonely path! Your reputation will never be the same!”Reportedly impressed, if not cowed, by Bloomberg’s personal fortune of around $60bn, Trump was initially said to have urged aides to take seriously the formerly Republican mayor’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.But despite massive spending Bloomberg has struggled in two Democratic debates and failed to oust Joe Biden as the moderate frontrunner. The key test of his ambitions comes on Tuesday, when 14 states and one territory, American Samoa, will stage primaries.In the ad which will air on CBS and NBC around 8.30pm ET on Sunday – and which is entitled “Leadership in Crisis” – Bloomberg appears in suit and tie and American flag pin, in front of a background which thanks to more flags and a sunlit window looks not unlike the Oval Office.“At times like this it is the job of the president to reassure the public that he or she is taking all the necessary steps to protect the health and wellbeing of every citizen,” Bloomberg says.“The public wants to know their leader is trained, informed and respected. When a problem arises, they want someone in charge who can marshal facts and expertise to confront the problem.”Bloomberg does not mention Trump and instead touts his experience in public health management while mayor of New York City between 2001 and 2013, which he says included dealing with “a hurricane, a blackout, attempted terror attacks, the West Nile virus and swine flu”.In response, the Trump campaign said the president was “effectively managing the coronavirus situation and has placed the United States ahead of the curve in its comprehensive response”.A spokesman added: “Mike Bloomberg is shamelessly politicising the issue and only further exposing himself as an unserious candidate. He’s a joke.”Trump, who complained at a rally on Friday night that Democrats were perpetrating a “hoax” in seeking to use the outbreak against him, has been accused of politicising the virus himself.On Sunday his vice-president Mike Pence, the leader of much-criticised White House efforts to contain the outbreak, parried questions about remarks by Trump and key supporters.The first US death from coronavirus was reported in Washington state on Saturday. According to the World Health Organization, there have been 83,652 cases and nearly 2,800 deaths worldwide. Most are in China but international travel, trade, business and sporting events have been affected. This week saw steep falls on most financial markets.At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland on Saturday, meanwhile, Trump mocked Bloomberg physically.“We’ve got Mini Mike [Bloomberg] but I think he’s out of it,” said Trump, 73 and 6ft 3in, about his 78-year-old, 5ft 4in challenger.“That was probably the worst debate performance in the history of presidential debates. It just shows you can’t buy an election. I mean, there’s a point at which people say, ‘You gotta bring the goods a little bit, too.’”Trump then pretended to be Bloomberg, crouching behind the lectern to audience laughter and chants of: “Four more years!”According to the New York Times, on NBC Bloomberg’s ad will run “during Little Big Shots, a variety show featuring child performers hosted by the [actor] Melissa McCarthy”.

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Turkey-Russia tensions soar after deadly Syria strike

The leaders of Russia and Turkey held crisis talks Friday after 33 Turkish soldiers died in an air strike in Syria, as Ankara ramped up pressure on Europe by threatening to flood in migrants. The United States and United Nations urged an end to the Russian-backed Syrian offensive against rebel holdouts, but Turkey appeared intent on easing tensions with Moscow by pinning the blame squarely on President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

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Man whose son was found encased in cement sentenced to 72 years in prison

A Colorado man whose seven-year-old son was repeatedly abused before being found encased in concrete in a Denver storage unit has been sentenced to 72 years in prison for the death.Leland Pankey received the sentence on Friday, with one count of child abuse landing him 48 years in prison and 24 years for tampering with the body.

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'Seriously people - STOP BUYING MASKS!': Surgeon general says they won't protect from coronavirus

The surgeon general has a message for people who want to run out and stockpile masks to combat coronavirus – don't.

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Super Tuesday polls: Bernie's edge, Biden's bounce and Bloomberg's debut

Sanders is poised to rebound from a distant second-place finish in South Carolina, according to surveys released over the weekend.

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Mike Pence calls Donald Trump Jr.'s inflammatory coronavirus comments an 'understandable' response

When pushed by CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence didn't directly refute some inflammatory comments about the coronavirus previously made by Donald Trump Jr.Trump Jr. said Friday that Democrats seemingly "hope" the virus comes to the United States and "kills millions of people" so they could bring down President Trump. Tapper played the clip for Pence and asked him if he believed anyone -- Democrat or Republican -- actively wanted the virus to spread and harm Americans. Pence, who is charge of the American response to the coronavirus, didn't outright agree with Trump Jr., but he did say there was some harsh rhetoric being tossed around, and he thinks the younger Trump was mainly arguing that the outbreak shouldn't be politicized."Responding to the kind of things that have been hurled is understandable," Pence said, before adding that he was setting politics aside to "work the problem." > On CNN, Mike Pence not only refused to disagree with Donald Trump Jr's assertion that Democrats are rooting for coronavirus to kill millions of people to hurt Trump -- but Pence even characterized Don Jr's sentiment as "understandable" pic.twitter.com/KwD624XGkq> > -- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 1, 2020More stories from theweek.com A coronavirus recession would likely end Trump's presidency Confidence seems to be waning for candidates other than Biden and Sanders after South Carolina If democratic socialism is so bad, why is Norway so great?

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South Korea wages 'all-out responses' to virus with 586 new cases

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Sunday the government was waging "all-out responses" to contain the novel coronavirus as the country added 586 more cases, taking the total to 3,736. South Korea has the largest national total in the world outside China, after it saw a rapid surge in the number of coronavirus cases in recent days. "The government is now waging all-out responses after raising the crisis alert to the highest level," Moon said at an Independence Movement Day ceremony, scaled down due to the outbreak.

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Coronavirus: Washington state nursing home placed on lockdown

* Kirkland facility reports symptoms in residents and staff * Pence defends Trump Jr claim Democrats want ‘millions’ to dieA nursing home in Washington state was placed on lockdown after a resident and a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 50 others showed respiratory symptoms, according to state health officials.The first coronavirus death in the US was confirmed in Washington state on Saturday.The US has confirmed approximately 60 cases of the severe respiratory illness. The World Health Organization has reported that 85,000 people have been sickened and more than 2,800 have died worldwide. The vast majority of cases have been in China but the virus is spreading, seriously affecting international travel, business and sporting and cultural events.Most coronavirus infections result in mild symptoms but some can lead to pneumonia. Older people, especially those with chronic illnesses, are vulnerable. Officials think the virus spreads mainly through coughs or sneezes.The Washington state nursing home, Life Care Center of Kirkland, has about 108 residents and 180 staff members. Officials reported that about 27 residents and 25 staff members had respiratory symptoms or had been hospitalized with respiratory conditions including pneumonia and were being tested for coronavirus. It was not immediately clear when those test results would be released.> We are very concerned about an outbreak in a setting where there are many older people> > Dr Jeff DuchinThe cases confirmed include a woman in her 40s who worked at the center and was in “satisfactory condition” as of Saturday. A woman in her 70s, a resident, was reported in serious condition.The Life Care Center announced it would not allow any visits from families, volunteers or vendors and was putting a hold on admissions.Ellie Basham, the executive director, said in a statement on Sunday any residents with symptoms were put in isolation and all associates must be screened before work. If they have symptoms they are sent home.“We are following the infection control recommendations from the [federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], including proper hand-washing techniques and wearing masks, gowns and gloves when caring for any symptomatic patients,” Basham said.Dr Jeff Duchin, health officer for Seattle and King county, said on Saturday officials were investigating the situation at the facility and “would not be surprised to find additional cases”.A team of about 10 officials from the CDC traveled to Washington state to work with local health experts.“We are very concerned about an outbreak in a setting where there are many older people, as we would be wherever people who are susceptible might be gathering,” said Duchin.More than two dozen firefighters and police officers in Kirkland who have responded to calls at the Life Care Center over the last few weeks have been placed under quarantine, according to the city government. They are either at home or at a fire station.“None of them are presenting any symptoms and we hope they will be tested and cleared soon,” city manager Kurt Triplett said.A group of about 16 nursing students and one faculty member from the Lake Washington Institute of Technology visited the Life Care Center late last week, Dr Amy Morrison, president of the college, said in a statement. As of Saturday evening, school officials were awaiting instructions from public health officials.“The safety of our students, faculty and staff is our priority, so as a precautionary measure, we are disinfecting the college campus tomorrow,” Morrison said.Over the last few days, local officials reported four coronavirus cases in King county, which includes Seattle, including the man in his 50s who died. The patient, who was not immediately identified, was the first reported US death associated with the coronavirus. He was chronically ill and had no history of travel to affected areas or contact with a known Covid-19 case, officials said.Health officials said on Saturday they did not see any connection between the man who died and the nursing facility, but they were still investigating how those patients contracted the virus.On Sunday, state health officials reported two new cases in King county. A man in his 60s with underlying health conditions was reported to be in “critical but stable condition” while another man in his 60s, also with underlying health conditions, was in critical condition.One unidentified Washington state patient reportedly works for the US Postal Service. According to Kiro 7, a local news station, the man worked at a Seattle Network Distribution Center and no mail was sent out from the facility.Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency in response to the new cases, saying state agencies should use “all resources necessary to prepare for and respond to the outbreak”.In January, Washington state reported the first case of coronavirus in the US when a man in his 30s was admitted to a hospital in Everett after returning from central China. He has since recovered.As of Sunday, eight people in Washington state had tested positive, officials said.

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Coronavirus News: 1st US death confirmed; NY state approved to begin own COVID-19 tests

The announcement came during a press conference involving officials from Public Health - Seattle & King County and the Washington State Department of Health.

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Dominican Republic, France report Caribbean virus cases

Health officials in the Dominican Republic and France on Sunday reported the first confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in the tourist-rich Caribbean, while British cruise ship passengers who had been trapped at sea due to virus fears were finally set to come home. Dominican Public Health Minister Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas said a 62-year-old Italian man had arrived in the country on Feb. 22 without showing symptoms. France, meanwhile, reported a case on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, the first in one of France's overseas territories.

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Billionaire Tom Steyer Drops Out of Democratic Presidential Race

(Bloomberg) -- Billionaire Tom Steyer ended his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination after a disappointing finish in South Carolina, where he had hoped to make a stand.Steyer didn’t garner enough of the vote to get any delegates. He had been betting on a strong performance in that state after doing poorly in the first three early contests, failing to crack the top four slots in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.“I can’t see a path where I can win the presidency,” Steyer said in Columbia, South Carolina. “I have no regrets.”In South Carolina, he spent millions on television ads before the other candidates invested in the state.Steyer entered the race in July on a platform of reforming the role of money in politics and combating climate change. He also brought a willingness to spend freely from his personal fortune to deliver his message.His departure leaves Michael Bloomberg as the only candidate left in the race who is self-funding his campaign.(Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)Steyer decided to run despite announcing in January 2019 that he wouldn’t seek the presidency and would instead focus on Need to Impeach, his advocacy organization devoted to removing President Donald Trump from office.Steyer vowed to spend $100 million on his campaign. He spent almost three times that much, with expenditures of $271 million through the end of January.He participated in four debates. Despite his efforts, Steyer never rose to be a top-tier candidate. He averaged at or below 2% nationally throughout the race according to RealClearPolitics.Before running for president, Steyer founded Farallon Capital where he served as a co-senior managing partner and was a partner and member of the executive committee of private equity firm Hellman & Friedman. He and his wife signed the “giving pledge” agreeing to donate half of their net worth to charity within their lifetime. In 2013, Steyer launched the progressive political action committee NextGen America, which works to mobilize young voters and push progressive issues.To contact the reporter on this story: Emma Kinery in Des Moines at ekinery@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Larry Liebert, Magan CraneFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Iraqi prime minister candidate Allawi quits as vacuum looms

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Allawi withdrew his candidacy for the post on Sunday, accusing political parties of obstructing him, deepening a domestic crisis and threatening an unprecedented power vacuum. Allawi's appointment was meant to ease a crisis as the Shi'ite-led country faces a mass protest movement that broke out in October and brought down Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. President Barham Salih will begin consultations to choose a new candidate for a new prime minister within 15 days, the state news agency said.

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Vatican opens archives on history's most controversial pope

The Vatican unseals the archives of history's most contentious popes on Monday, potentially shedding light on why Pius XII stayed silent during the extermination of six million Jews in the Holocaust. Award-winning German religious historian Hubert Wolf will be in Rome on Monday, armed with six assistants and two years of funding to start exploring documents from the "private secretariat" of the late pope. Wolf, a specialist on the relationship of Pius XII with the Nazis, is anxious to discover the notes of the his 70 ambassadors -- the pontiff's eyes and ears during his time as head of the Catholic Church between 1939 and his death in 1958.

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'Not gone as smoothly as we would have liked': CDC fixes coronavirus testing kit glitch

A CDC addresses a glitch in coronavirus testing kits and will significantly expand testing as heath agencies prepare for more U.S. cases.

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Bizarre Email Is Latest Clue in Saga of Doomsday Couple With Missing Kids

The latest clue in the investigation of doomsday couple Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell is a weird email sent in her previous husband’s name shortly before he was shot dead.Investigators want to question Vallow and Daybell about the June 29 message as they try to put together pieces of a puzzle that includes two dead spouses, two missing children, and an obsession with the apocalypse and near-death experiences, KSL-TV reported.Vallow’s 17-year-old, Tylee Ryan, and adopted 7-year-old, J.J., have been missing since September—and the search for them has also raised questions about the deaths of Vallow’s ex, Charles Vallow, and Daybell’s wife, Tammy.Doomsday Mom Told Her Husband’s Kids Their Dad Was Dead Via Text MessageCharles Vallow, 62, was killed by his wife’s brother, Alex Cox, during what was initially described as a domestic dispute on July 11 in Chandler, Arizona.Two weeks earlier, Charles wrote an email to another brother-in-law, Adam Cox, in which he claimed that Lori had created an email account in his name and used it invite Daybell, who lived in Idaho, to visit him in Arizona.“I would gladly fly you down here early next week,” the bogus invite read. “You could stay in our guest room like before. I hate to take you away from your family, but I would definitely make it worth your time.”When Charles got wind of the email, he questioned Lori about it but got no answers.“I’m not sure of the relationship with her and Chad Daybell but they are up to something… She will not explain it…” he wrote to Adam Cox, according to KSL.“I am going to send it to Chad Daybell’s wife. Her name is Tammy and I found her email address on their website too… I’ve got her cell number too.”It’s not clear if Charles ever contacted Tammy. And three months after he was killed, she was dead, too. Weeks later, Lori and Chad—who bonded in a doomsday prepper group—got married.Sgt. Jason McClimans of the Chandler, Arizona, Police Department called the email “suspicious.”“It draws various questions that we would need to ask Lori and Tylee and possibly Chad to get to the bottom of it,” he said.Crazy Custody Battle With Doomsday Mom’s Niece Airs Claims of Cults, Child-Stealing, and Attempted MurderThere’s no shortage of questions police want to ask Lori, 46, and Chad, 51, starting with the location of Tylee and J.J., the only other witnesses to Charles’ death.Idaho police say Lori refused to cooperate with search for the children, lied about their whereabouts, and took off for Hawaii with Chad when they started investigating.A judge ordered her arrested for desertion and contempt, and she is being extradited from Hawaii to Idaho to face those charges. Her new husband has reportedly already returned to Idaho.Police have reopened the investigation into Tammy Daybell’s Oct. 19 death and exhumed her body, and they are taking another look at Charles Vallow’s killing and the unexplained December death of Alex Cox. They are also investigating an October incident in which someone driving Charles’ car took a shot at Brandon Boudreaux, the estranged husband of Lori’s niece.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Biden wins South Carolina primary: Live updates

Former Vice President Joe Biden won Saturday’s Democratic primary in South Carolina, where voters delivered his struggling campaign a much-needed boost heading into Super Tuesday.

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New coronavirus case confirmed at Tenerife hotel on lockdown

An Italian national staying at a hotel in Tenerife which has been placed on lockdown after four cases of the coronavirus were detected has tested positive for the virus, regional health authorities confirmed on Saturday. The Italian national, part of the same group as the four original cases at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace Hotel, has been in isolation in a hotel room since Feb. 24 and will be taken to hospital, the Canary Islands' regional health authorities said, adding the Italian was "in good state of health". It brings the total number of active cases in the Canary Islands to six - five in Tenerife and one in La Gomera.

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40% of Americans don't think the US government is prepared to handle coronavirus

Only 7% of Americans said they felt the US government is "extremely prepared" for coronavirus, while 12% said "very prepared."

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Ted Cruz tried to mock AOC's scientific knowledge – it didn't end well

The Texas senator tried to pick a fight after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called out Mike Pence’s coronavirus credentialsIf you were in search of a scientifically minded, steadying presence to guide the country through the potential fallout of the coronavirus, you could not do much worse than Vice-President Mike Pence.This being the Donald Trump administration, however, where qualifications and expertise are often seen as prohibitive factors for top jobs, that’s exactly who we’ve been given.Cutting to the heart of the matter with her characteristic bluntness, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez this week pointed out the absurdity of placing Pence in charge of a potentially looming health crisis.“Mike Pence literally does not believe in science,” the New York congresswoman tweeted on Wednesday. “It is utterly irresponsible to put him in charge of US coronavirus response as the world sits on the cusp of a pandemic. This decision could cost people their lives. Pence’s past decisions already have.”Ocasio-Cortez reminded people of Pence’s credentials. While he was governor of Indiana, he oversaw an HIV crisis so severe that at its peak, 20 new cases were diagnosed each week.“As governor, Pence’s science denial contributed to one of the worst HIV outbreaks in Indiana’s history,” she wrote. “He is not a medical doctor. He is not a health expert. He is not qualified nor positioned in any way to protect our public health.”Rushing to the defense of the administration the next day, Ted Cruz jumped into the fray.> As you are speaking as the oracle of science, tell us, what exactly is a Y chromosome? https://t.co/t4XVVzWr3A> > — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 27, 2020“As you are speaking as the oracle of science, tell us, what exactly is a Y chromosome?” Cruz responded on Twitter. “And at what age of gestation does science tell us that an unborn child feels physical pain?”He may have picked the wrong opponent – Ocasio-Cortez, it transpires, holds an award for microbiology from MIT.Despite reports in the past of the two lawmakers, surprisingly, finding common ground on other issues, Ocasio-Cortez did not let the slight go unaddressed. Touting her scientific bona fides and jabbing at Cruz, who, like Pence, gives primacy to his religious beliefs, she delivered an acerbic put-down.“I’m surprised you’re asking about chromosomes given that you don’t believe in evolution,” she said.> Sen. Cruz, while I understand you judge people’s intelligence by the lowest income they’ve had, I hold awards from MIT Lincoln Lab &others for accomplishments in microbiology. > > Secondly, I’m surprised you’re asking about chromosomes given that you don’t even believe in evolution. https://t.co/vOIwJhpl7q> > — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 28, 2020A few hours later, Cruz returned for another condescending jab. “Btw, congrats on the science fair,” he tweeted.“We see evolution every day: the Dem party is rapidly evolving into an angry, anti-science socialist ideology. You insulted Pence & I asked you 3 real Qs re science. You ignored all 3 & responded w/ your resume & ad hominem attacks. Instead of insults, address the substance.”The senator did not confirm whether or not he does, in fact, believe in the actual definition of evolution.

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South Carolina exit polls: Black and moderate voters fuel Biden to victory

The former vice president won 60 percent of the black vote and received solid backing from moderate and religious voters Saturday.

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